Hidden Risks of Black Licorice (2024)

FAQs

Hidden Risks of Black Licorice? ›

So, eating too much licorice — or too frequently — can result in high blood pressure, low potassium levels, and other signs of pseudohyperaldosteronism. This can be deadly, especially in people with preexisting heart or kidney conditions.

However, it is important to realize that black licorice is more than just candy. It contains glycyrrhizic acid, which can cause swelling and high blood pressure and deplete potassium and other electrolytes that may cause a cardiac arrhythmia or arrest.

When taken by mouth: Licorice is likely safe for most people when eaten in typical food amounts. Licorice that has had the chemical glycyrrhizin removed is possibly safe when taken in doses up to 4.5 grams daily for up to 4 months.

If you want the most nutritious licorice available on the market, look no further than Panda all-natural sweet licorice. The list of ingredients for the licorice-based treats is impressively short. They are made from molasses, which contains a high nutritional value and is rich in protein.

Its also popularly used as a natural laxative, so it can help with constipation, and as an aid for digestive problems. According to the medical journal, Nutrition and Cancer, substances in licorice may even protect against carcinogen-induced DNA.

There have been no single case reports of liver injury due to licorice and large case series and registries of drug- and dietary supplement induced liver injury, and licorice has not been listed as an implicated agent. Likelihood score: E (unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury).

Eaten in large amounts, black licorice can lower the body's potassium levels – significantly. Potassium is important for heart health, and if levels plummet, it can lead to problems such as abnormal heart rhythms and congestive heart failure. Or worse.

Too much glycyrrhizin can therefore lead to problems such as raised blood pressure, fluid retention, muscle weakness and heart rhythm abnormalities (arrhythmia). The good news is that if liquorice has this effect on you, the changes are not normally permanent.

Yes, the original TWIZZLERS Twists are licorice because they include licorice extract. However, the most popular flavors like strawberry or cherry do not include licorice extract, so they are often referred to as licorice type candy. Are TWIZZLERS Twists a healthy snack?

Are there any benefits to eating black licorice? ›

It's popular in these natural non-pharmacological therapies because licorice contains a lot of potentially healthy components, including ones that have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, anticancer, hepatoprotective (protects the liver), and neuroprotective (prevents nerve cell death) properties.

The sense of taste is genetic, so when someone complains that black licorice is too bitter, they're tasting the glycyrrhizin, the compound in licorice root that's chemically similar to saccharin. This may be why they taste the bitterness.

Red Licorice vs.

WINNER: Red licorice. Many people assume that black licorice root can alleviate health issues. This hasn't been proven, but eating large quantities of black licorice may be dangerous to people 40 and older because a compound in it has been linked to heart problems, according to the FDA.

Potential side effects. Liquorice extract consumption can reduce blood potassium levels resulting in abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, oedema, lethargy, heart failure and hypokalaemic myopathy manifesting as flaccid paralysis^1–3.

The side effect may due to the cortical hormone like action. Conclusion: Licorice and its natural compounds have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities.

In high doses and long application, Licorice caused sodium retention and high blood pressure and might lead to hypokalemia and rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure [36, 37].

Cases of poisoning are mostly chronic in nature, not acute; however, binging on licorice has also resulted in toxicity. Symptoms of licorice toxicity may include the following: Fatigue and muscle cramping. Dark urine (myoglobinuria) Weakness (hypokalemia, myopathies)